Everybody has personal preferences, and the motivations behind them differ from person to person. Work from home vs. work from the office: Which setting maximises the potential of the employee and the organisation? is the preference comparison that has swept the corporate world, especially in 2020. While proponents of the work-from-office school of thinking contend that the sole purpose of an office setting is to foster an environment that stimulates effort and promotes teamwork, others who favour WFH settings contend that it allows their routines some much-needed flexibility.

But at the moment, this argument is no longer up for discussion. Work from home vs. work from the office seems like a pointless debate as the former has become the standard for most businesses as a result of the global coronavirus outbreak. Which approach will be used going forward? is the question that is now being raised. This post makes an effort to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each and provide you with a fair assessment of what the future of workplace culture will entail.

Pros and Cons of Working From Home

Imagine you get up at approximately 9 a.m., have been working in your present position for a few months, and are experiencing home office weariness. Although your workday starts at 9:30, the commute will probably take at least an hour. The next thought that comes to mind is probably of a frustrated boss who is reconsidering his choice to hire you.

Advantages of WFH

There are several situations like this when a work-from-home arrangement is advantageous for both the company and the employee:

1. Less or no commuting

The absence of a commute is one of the main benefits of working from home. People in India often travel to and from work for at least two hours each day. This not only wastes time that they could be using effectively, but it also severely interferes with work-life balance. It’s normal for someone who works a standard 9–to–5 (or 6) job and spends 7% of their day in traffic to feel like they have no life outside of work.

2. A more favourable Work-Life Balance

Realizing that work is not the end-all and be-all of things is crucial. You do have a life outside of work, but spending over half of your day at an office makes it seem like a fiction. The majority of firms that provide their staff the choice to work from home also allow them the freedom to select their own working hours. As long as their job is finished and produces positive results, workers can begin and stop their days whenever they like. The ability to manage your work schedule is crucial for taking care of your personal demands.

3. It lowers costs and carbon footprint

Working from home saves money for both parties: the employee doesn’t have to pay for transportation, meals, and other expenses that come up during the course of a typical workday, and businesses save a lot on energy costs and other associated costs that would have been unavoidable in a fully operational office setup. While these actions are good for your pocketbook, they’re also good for the environment. A shorter commute means less automobiles on the road, which unintentionally helps to clean up our environment, which is much needed right now.

Cons of Working from Home

Therefore, working from home has some significant advantages. It does, however, provide certain difficulties:

1. Collaboration and organisational development

Working from home is inherently antithetical to cooperation. Work schedules are typically broken up into chunks according to each employee’s job description to make things easier for them. As long as their daily targets are satisfied, everything should go according to plan. A single challenge, though, may throw the entire squad off course.

While it is feasible to coordinate with many individuals over the phone or via video calls, doing so is ineffective since it prevents face-to-face contact. With 10 other individuals fighting for screen time on a Zoom session, it takes a long time to get ideas through for approval. Working from home can therefore undermine teamwork and cause chaos.

2. Productivity Pitfall

According to widely-cited surveys, the majority of respondents believe that working from home will have more productive and efficient. This sensation is only converted into action, which is essential for keeping a consistent flow of production, when you have a fixed schedule. Although the comforts of home are pleasant, that very element can be detrimental.

At home, procrastination might run wild or, worse still, you can find yourself overworking yourself. Additionally, working alone might kill your ability to be creative. Working from home thus doesn’t necessarily ensure success.

Pros and Cons of Working From Home

The office environment is still revered despite the numerous benefits of working from home.

Advantages of Working in an Office

The value of offices is on their productivity, as opposed to merely providing a segregated area where workers may contribute to the expansion of an organisation:

1.Communication

In a professional situation, face-to-face contact is the most effective and transparent method of communication. Not only does it help with company planning, but it also improves coworkers’ connections and rapport. There is no other way to develop relationships like the type that develops when you sit next to someone or run into them at the coffee machine. The chain of command, the regular duties you must do, and all other factors are integrated into a system of effective communication that detects flaws almost immediately, fixes them, and guarantees that only the best output is produced.

2. Management

No of the environment in which one works, every organisation has a clear structure that cannot be disputed. The optimal output is produced by an organisation through thorough coordination and feedback, and each employee is accountable to a higher authority. This cycle is only feasible when the manager is present among the staff, monitoring activities, identifying mistakes as they are made, providing clear instructions to a troubled employee, and managing workflow. Management becomes difficult when everything is digital, and work is frequently late or of poor quality.

The Drawbacks of Working from Home

While there are some clear benefits to continuing to visit your offices, there are also some evident drawbacks:

1. Strict Organizational Regulations

You have very little decision-making power in an office setting. Your commuting time, working hours, and job description are all set and rather predictable. Maintaining a rigid schedule while working from an office is essential. Come rain or shine, you must be at your desk every day before your superiors notice a delay, regardless of your personal issues or the fact that there are outside factors acting against you.

2.Workplace Environment

The type of work environment that the company promotes is one of the crucial factors in the discussion between working from home and working from an office. It should come as no surprise that one requires hide-thick skin to thrive in the business world. Your motivation and productivity may be made or broken by the atmosphere at work.

In an office context, employees have little influence or choice over their working environment. You just have to put up with it, whether it’s a nagging coworker or other practical difficulties. One may customise their office at home based on their needs and interests.

Where Does the Future of Working From Home vs. Working From the Office?

Even people who gain from either side of the work-from-home vs. work-from-office argument are baffled by it since each side’s advantages are too profitable to ignore. However, we think finding a middle ground between the two may hold the key. In addition to preserving the benefits of a work-from-home environment, dividing the work week between days when employees must go to the office and days when they may work from home can also stop an organisation from stifling creativity and the flow of work. When employees come into the workplace, brainstorming sessions and meetings may get chaotic, and these ideas may then be used to produce final products at home. This creates the perfect work environment that is optimised for the future, giving companies and workers the chance to have a fulfilling work-life balance.